How To Make Money In College

One of the things students are renowned for is being strapped for cash. Their famous for eating tinned foods and plain spaghetti, simply because they’re cheap. Seeing as most students uproot their entire lives and move away from home (leaving any jobs they did have behind) to go to college or university however it’s little wonder. Then when you throw in tight deadlines and constant classes most students are left wondering when and how they’re meant to make even a penny. That’s where I come in! I’ve been doing my research and mixed it with a few ideas of my own to come up with this list of twenty ways to make money in college (and no, none of them mean having to sacrifice sleep or a social life).

1. Freelance Writing

When I first started freelance writing I was working in a supermarket but found myself still needing a little extra cash. Despite working full time, I still found plenty of time to write to up my income and in just a few short months I became so successful at writing I left my day job.

Writing worked for me and could also work extremely well for anyone looking to earn extra cash in college. You could approach local media outlets with articles you’ve written but personally I recommend taking the online approach. There are lots of websites where you can create a freelance writing profile, search for jobs, set your prices and deadlines, and in short have total freedom over your work.

2. Sell Stock Photography

If you’ve got a sharp eye and a half decent camera, one way to make some extra cash is by selling stock photographs. There are plenty of websites such as Footolia where you can sell your pictures for a little extra cash. It’s an incredibly simple process too, all you do is create an account, submit your photos for acceptance, and once your photos are accepted you simply wait for the money to roll in. I will warn you however that not all photos are accepted so make sure you have a good quality camera to up your chances. While you’ll never be a millionaire selling stock photographs, this is a great way to earn a few extra pennies.

3. Start A Blog

If you know what you’re doing and have the time to commit to it, starting a blog can be an extremely profitable business. Your blog is basically your website and you earn money from it by allowing your host site to place ads on it. Every time someone clicks these ads you earn money. Sounds simple, huh? There are a few catches however. To earn money you need traffic on your site so to do this you need to post constantly and make the content sharp and engaging. Also, not all blogs are accepted into this scheme so it’s worth reading the guidelines first.

4. Start A YouTube Channel

Making money via YouTube is similar to making money by starting a blog. Basically, you earn cash by allowing YouTube to run ads at the start of your videos. Believe it or not, some YouTube channels are so successful their owners can live off them! Again however, you need traffic to gain hits on your ads so make sure you post regularly and keep your content exciting.

5. Be A Guest Bartender

If you’re bar tending for just one night, you don’t always need a licence and will likely be taught all you need to know right before the gig. This is a great way to get some cash in hand and a few tips if you’ve got some good moves. You could do it at your local pub or even at a local event or festival. It’s always worth keeping your ears open to see what events are coming up and putting in a good word for yourself at local pubs.

6. Sell On Etsy

Do you have a talent which you can use to make things like furniture, paintings, ornaments, and jewellery? If so, why not look into selling the things you create on etsy.com? It’s a great little site that allows people to buy and sell handmade items. If you’re selling on the site you can easily earn some extra cash, especially if your items are unique, quirky, and desirable.

7. Apply To Supermarkets

If you’re looking for a more stable source of income, supermarkets can be a great place to work for students. Firstly, they tend to be quite flexible in they hours you work and are reasonably understanding if your dissertation is due. And secondly, they’re all over the country so if you want to travel home for the holidays they’ll likely give you a shop transfer to your home town so you can continue working even when you’re not at college.

8. Sell On eBay

You can make money a few ways by using eBay. Firstly, you can go down the obvious route and sell any unwanted goods you’ve got. Secondly, you can sell for others and take a commission out of the selling price. Thirdly, you can create things you’ve made yourself and sell them on the site. And lastly, you can buy things from places such as car boot sales or wholesale really cheap and sell them on for more. Depending on how good you are, you can either use eBay to gain a little extra cash or you could even make a living out of it.

9. Sell Through Social Networks

If you’re not keen on using eBay to sell things then how about using social networks? Facebook in particular is great for this – I’ve done it myself. You can post to local groups where you can buy and sell things or you could even create your own page to advertise things. Creating your own page is especially good if you’re making your own things to sell as it’s great advertisement for you. You can either work out an online payment scheme or, if your buyer is local, have them pick it up or you could drop it off for a fee.

10. Do Online Surveys

Doing online surveys is never going to make you a millionaire but it will however make you a bit of extra cash. Different surveys pay different amounts depending on the questions asked but soon enough your earnings will be mounting. Most online survey accounts don’t pay out until you’ve reached a certain amount ($10 is a common number to see) but it’s pretty easy to do and it means you’re not just getting $1 here and there, you get a lump sum instead.

11. Sell Your Online Gaming Accounts

If you’re good at online gaming and can get your characters to a high level quickly then you can make money by selling on that account. That’s right, people pay for your high level characters! You can do this through sites such as mmobay.net and accountmarket.com. If you can level your characters pretty quickly then this is a great chance at some extra cash with a potential quick turnaround.

12. Tutoring

If there’s a subject you’re particular good at then you might consider tutoring for some extra cash. It’s great because you can set your own hours and prices. You can tutor anyone too; people perhaps in the year below you at college, high school students, adults looking to learn something new, anyone! Just be honest and don’t claim to be a professional however. Show them your good grades and let your knowledge speak for itself.

13. Host A Yard Sale

For some of us selling online just doesn’t appeal in which case a yard sale is a great alternative. Simply gated together you unwanted items or homemade crafts, set up a stand, and get selling. You can also invite your roommates to join you so you have a bigger yard sale to attract more customers. If you don’t have a yard, setting up at a car book sale is also a great way to bring in the cash (though many have a small set up fee).

14. Flip Domain Names

Flipping domain names basically means buying unused website names and selling them on for more money. It’s only worth buying a domain name if you’re sure you can persuade someone to buy it and this really is a business you should only get into if you’re up for a challenge too.

15. Transcribing

If you’re a great typist then this job is for you. You basically get given an audio or video sample and are asked to transcribe it work for word. You can find lots of these jobs online or you could even advertise your services in your local area.

16. Translating

If languages are your talent then you might consider translating for some extra cash. You’d be surprised just how many people have foreign documents or books that they need translated into English or vice versa. If you’re good at what you do, it’s not time consuming and you can make a lot of money from it in just a small amount of time.

17. Babysitting

Babysitting has been an excellent way of making extra cash for a heck of a long time. Don’t think it’s beneath you or it’s hard either. Most of the time, the kids are in bed by the time you arrive or soon will be so you’re not too likely to be rushed off your feet. If you’ve got young cousins or friends with kids look after their kids first so you can get some references to pass on and build yourself up a profile. You’d be shocked at just how much you can earn by babysitting, especially if you do a bit of dusting or wash the dishes while you’re there!

18. Bake Cakes

I don’t know about you but I’m constantly seeing beautiful cakes in shops and online and most of them are handmade. I know a tonne of people who are running their own baking business are are raking in the money by specialising in intricately decorated birthday, wedding, and Christening cakes. If you’re a dab hand at baking and have a steady hand when it comes to putting the icing on the cake then this is a great way to make phenomenal amounts of money in a short period of time. Once you’re established and have a portfolio you’ll be flying!

19. Home Cleaning

Why not set yourself up as a house cleaner on your days off to earn a bit of money? This is great as it’s such a cheap business to set up (especially seeing as most clients will want you to use the cleaning products in their own home) and you can set your own working hours. Cleaning is relatively quick and easy so you can potentially make a lot of money in a small amount of time. Just be sure you do a good job and have a keen eye for dust otherwise you’ll quickly lose clients to a more reliable cleaner.

20. Mow Some Lawns

I know, I know, this hardly sounds glamorous but believe me there’s big cash in mowing lawns. It takes hardly any time to mow a lawn but people are willing to pay big for you to do it. Whether they don’t have the time or ability to do their own garden is irrelevant, it’s all profitable to you. Most of your clients will have their own mower but if they don’t you’ll be able to pick up one relatively cheap and you’ll have made your money back on it in little to no time at all. You could even start doing a bit of weeding or planting to earn extra cash in the gardening business too.

Of course, these are but a few ideas to help you get the money rolling in. There are plenty of things you can do to earn money in college, you just have to be motivated enough to go do them! As you can see, there’s no need for you to be skint just because you’re a student so put a stop to it and start earning now. Good luck!

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2 Comments

Kierra

May 5, 2014 at 8:31 pm

I’m studying to be a psychologist, and because of school I don’t really have time for a day job. I try to make money online as well. I’ve written articles for different websites and done all kinds of other stuff. Now, though, I’m trying to build a successful blog of my own.